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NorthGate College (NGC) seeks to engineer a quality learning environment that goes far beyond an academic experience. NGC provides students with knowledge and experience that will endure throughout their lives. NGC students must be drawn by their sight of a preferred future that is not necessarily shaped by the past or limited by their present circumstances. Read on »

NGC News

NGC Sports Day 2018

There is always a buzz of excitement and anticipation that surrounds the NorthGate College’s Sports day. Energy levels intensify everyday as the students engage in the pre-sports activities. From the Academic Relay, to the Aerobathon, all four teams are well represented and the team t-shirts are worn with pride.

Each activity accumulates points towards the overall performance of the teams on Sports day. The students actively prepare for the pageantry, races, and novelty events all in an effort to walk away with the bragging rights to be the best team.

Many parents attend our Annual Sports Day and are delighted each year by the creativity and high-spirited atmosphere that the day holds. The pageantry reflected this year’s theme of “Wisdom vs Folly”, the principles and practical examples that the students displayed gave assurance and confidence to each viewer of the values being built in the lives of their children. It was truly a wonderful sight to experience the students’ understanding of these principles in a creative and entertaining format.

Team Accuracy, with an almost perfect sweep grabbed top honours in the majority of the pre-sports events: Academic Relay, Road Race, Aerobathon and Football. Team Impact exhibited exceptional form as they won the Cricket tournament. Accuracy however, did not stop there, but went on to cop first place overall on Sports Day! Congratulations to all the teams as they demonstrated strength of will and strength of community. Though the students were placed in different teams, they cheered and supported each other admirably. The sense of togetherness and camaraderie was palpable and the driving force behind an exceptional day.

NorthGate College’s Debate Club Shines in JA Debate Series

NorthGate College’s debating season has kicked off for the academic year 2017/2018. It is notable that debating is a vehicle for the development of research and problem solving skills as it encourages critical thinking. Our two debate teams rose to the challenge for the Junior Achievers Trinidad and Tobago Debate Series. They debated the motion “Be it resolved that the education system that currently exists in T&T is sufficient to produce successful 21st Century global citizens”. Both teams made it to the quarterfinal round where the motion was”Be it resolved that happiness is the most important indicator of well-being and success at the level of the individual”. The teams fought admirably winning seven out of nine debates advancing to the semi-finals and coping trophies for Outstanding Debaters. Click on the link below for more insight to their journey:

NGC Expressions: The Hidden 9/10s Concert

At NorthGate College there is such rich life that is experienced on an on-going basis that we relish the opportunity to present a sample to parents and guardians at the end of year concert. While some of the students have natural talent there are many avenues to refine their natural skill through the opportunities presented via the co-curricular activities. Parents, guardians and well-wishers attend the concert to see first-hand the core of who we are through dance, song, spoken word, musical expression and drama. The Hidden 9/10s Concert, represented by the image of an iceberg, has become an iconic event for revealing the hidden mass of what makes us NorthGate College.

The program was divided into 3 themes that creatively displayed the values that are embedded in the college: Courage & Resolve, Balance & Harmony, Community & Connectedness. Each performance not only gave greater insight into the values highlighted but also the behind the scenes efforts of our students who volunteered to apply make-up on the performers, serve as stage hands and ushers for the event. Even the staff stepped on stage to perform the closing act – a talkalypso that expressed the staff’s appreciation for the students and their joyful sacrifice to ensure that each student realizes their full potential.

There are so many factors that constitutes a successful concert. While the concert was enjoyed by all, the success of the evening was seeing the genuine family structure that is NorthGate College on full display. All parents were in awe at the atmosphere and the feeling of being a part of something that is much vaster than the eye can see.

F6 Leadership Forum Visits Parliament

The NGC F6 Leadership Forum class took their first field trip, on Monday, Oct 23rd, 2017. The Class visited the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago Parliament as part of their curriculum for term one. The students of F6, both lower and upper, were given a tour of Parliament and its chambers. Our guide, on this particular morning, was Ms. Melissa Griffith, the Director of Communication for Parliament. She wasted no time engaging our students as she tested their historical knowledge of the leaders of the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago. She provided our students with insightful details of session proceedings, the full chain of command for Parliament and clarified the election process for Representatives and the selection process for the Senate.

The purpose of the field trip was to expose our students to the leadership process at the nation’s highest level, allowing them an opportunity to observe the system in progress. Although we were unable to visit Parliament in session, our students were able to spend some time with the Marshal of Parliament, Dr. Kirt St Bernard, and he exposed some of the inner workings of the system itself.

The students walked away with a greater appreciation for the ethos of Trinidad and Tobago as they learned more about traditions and the historical impact that still reverberates in existing structures. This trip created an excellent opportunity for these young leaders to engage in rich dialogue from this experience.

French Guiana Visiting Student Contingent

On Tuesday 24th October, 2017, seven students accompanied by two of their teachers visited the NGC campus from French Guiana. The visiting Form 6 students, who are learning English at the Lycée Polyvalent Bertène Juminer traveled to Trinidad and Tobago as part of their language-learning experience. They have also been engaging in e-correspondence with the students of the Form 5 French class at NGC since March 2017.

The students became part of the NGC student body for the day. They participated in a joint French class with the Form 4 and 5 French students in the morning session. At lunch time, they enjoyed an inter-class football game taking place at the College, and in the afternoon, they joined one of the Form 3 French classes. The NorthGate students we eager to engage with the French students, fully enjoying the opportunity to practice what has been learnt and share a bit of culture. Many have made new pen-pals and learnt about French Guiana.

Induction of a New Student Leadership Team

A new academic year has begun and with it came new opportunities for growth and development for the student body. NorthGate College (NGC) continues to fulfill the mandate to raise up leaders and a practical expression of this reality is through the induction of Student Leaders. This is seen as an opportunity to embed within our students the capacity for accurate, values-based leadership.

At the Student Leadership Induction Ceremony, the student body was charged with the relevance and importance of the appointment of leaders within the school community. As Dr. Marlon Jameson, co-Chairman of NorthGate College gave context to NGC’s Leadership mandate, he defined leadership to the student body as “… to know what is correct, to stand for it and lead others in that direction.” It was made very clear that tremendous responsibility is not only placed on the appointed leaders to walk in the values taught but also in the student body’s ability to give of their commitment to the upholding of the same values and standards. As stated by Dr. Jameson, “The responsibility to live up to a standard is not determined by a badge that is worn, but it is the responsibility of everyone.” For the appointed leaders, it will be a time of training and development and for the student body, an opportunity to grow in strong and accurate follower-ship.

Director of Northgate College, Yolande La Pierre declared to the selected leaders, “we have seen diligence, accountability, self-governance and humility in you, and we now call you before the student body and charge you to lead by example on a student level!” The student body expressed their undeniable agreement with emphatic cheers and applause for each leader chosen, further validating their appointment. Present were past student leaders that attended the ceremony as a show of support and encouragement. The newly appointed leaders were the very same students who walked in accurate follower-ship that the past student leaders led when they served! At the ceremony, these past students were able to witness the fruit of their sacrifice when they displayed knowledge of what is correct, stood for it and led others in that direction. They have passed on the baton to an eager and vibrant group of young people who are committed to raising the standard of leadership and ushering their fellow schoolmates that accurately follow into the same mandate.

Past Head Prefects (far ends; Right to left) N. Laveau and A. Payne Newly Appointed Head Prefects (S. Rudden, K. Grant and B. Wooding; Right to left)

NorthGate College Students Continue the Trend of Excellence

The CXC results for graduating classes of 2017 are out. The results act as irrefutable proof that the NorthGate model of values-based education, which focuses on character development, goes hand in hand with academic success. The students performed commendably at both the CAPE and CSEC levels. The 2017 cohort has continued the trend of solid academic performance celebrated by the College over the years. We applaud the students and staff for the diligence, sacrifice and commitment which has produced great success. The students are more than qualified to continue their process of development.

Cross Section of the Graduating Classes 2017

The summary tables of the 2017 CXC results are below:

CAPE 2017 Results

Subject

Percentage Pass Rate

Applied Mathematics

100%

Biology

100%

Building & Mechanical Engineering Drawing

100%

Caribbean Studies

100%

Chemistry

100%

Communication Studies

100%

Digital Media

100%

Entrepreneurship

94%

Environmental Science

100%

Information Technology

100%

Management of Business

100%

Physics

100%

Pure Mathematics

100%

Sociology

100%

CSEC 2017 Results

Subject

Percentage Pass Rate

Additional Mathematics

100%

Biology

100%

Chemistry

76%

English A

93%

English B

100%

French

100%

Geography

100%

Human & Social Biology

95%

Information Technology

100%

Mathematics

83%

Principles of Accounts

88%

Principles of Business

100%

Physics

92%

Social Studies

96%

Spanish

100%

Technical Drawing

100%

Visual Arts 100%

100%

NorthGate College Students Shine on Graduation Night

Painting the metaphor of NorthGate College as a great, ancient Samaan tree, Ms. Yolande La Pierre, Director of the College, triggered images of stability in times in which many find values are unpredictable and the way forward difficult to discern. This was her charging statement to the graduating class of 2017:

Ms. Yolande La Pierre, Director of NorthGate College

“When I see this tree, I think of it as a picture of NorthGate College—a sense of grace and beauty on the outside, undergirded by a complex structure of strength and support from beneath.”

Speaking to a roomful of parents and students, Yolande La Pierre, Director of NorthGate College, said it was the institution’s “root system” that allows it to produce values-based young leaders who will face the challenges of the future. She was delivering the Director’s Report at the College’s Graduation and Awards Ceremony, held on June 24 at the Central Bank Auditorium in Port of Spain. “You, graduands, are the fruit of this tree. Ensure that as you leave here, your roots run deep, that you are firmly planted in the values you have been taught and you will not wither. Whatever you do, you will prosper,” she said.

Fifty-nine graduates from Forms 5 and 6 crossed the stage on the evening. Among them were Valedictorians Kai Fairman and Nathan Laveau, who received the school’s most esteemed prizes. Laveau, the Head Boy, captured the Chairman’s Award, for the male graduate who demonstrates the highest degree of integrity and character, while Fairman copped the NorthGate College Award, for the female graduate who consistently exemplifies the vision and mission of the school.

“Our external achievement is just the surface of our internal identity,” Laveau said in a jointly delivered Valedictory address. “But who we are—our diligence, sacrifice, accountability—is hidden beneath the surface,” Fairman chimed in.

Fittingly, the evening celebrated both external achievement and internal character. Zachary Joel was recognised for securing the lion’s share of the Form 5 academic awards, while 5 graduates Rene Best and Daniel Li were honoured with the Cecile Taylor Community Enhancement Award. Created in honour of the College’s first director, this coveted prize is reserved for students who perform exceptional service and contribute to the preservation of the NorthGate culture.

The school’s inaugural Digital Chronicles Award was copped by Justin Edwards, one of the top ten students in CXC Cape Digital Merit List. He received the trophy from Ronald Hinds, CEO of software development firm Teleios Systems, and current president of the Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce. Delivering the keynote on the evening, Hinds encouraged Edwards’ fellow graduates to walk worthy of the education that had been invested into them.

Dr Marlon Jameson, NorthGate College Co-chairman

Co-chairman of the College, Dr Marlon Jameson, said the school’s mission was to prepare its graduates, not just to pass exams, but to navigate the complex challenges of our time.
“With so much uncertainty in the current global climate, we’re constantly reminded of the great responsibility entrusted to educators across the globe. At NorthGate, we’ve always taken that challenge seriously, which is why we focus on academic achievement but never at the expense of ethical development. Our commitment is to produce the kind of leaders that our world needs,” he said.

Graduating Class of 2016-2017

NorthGate College’s Modern Foreign Languages Festival

NorthGate College’s MFL Festival was held this year on Friday 2nd June. The 2017 theme was People, Events, Monuments. Each class was given the responsibility of preparing and presenting on one of the areas as it related to either the Hispanophone or Francophone culture. Booths, stations and assigned areas were set up to display and conduct the many cultural presentations by the very linguistically eager students.

Form 1G took us on a tour of Paris, France as we visited the Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Bastille, the Louvre, the Arc de Triomphe and, a must-see for any tourist to the city, the Eiffel Tower. Then we relaxed and had some fun with some French karaoke at a Parisian cafe!

The Form 2N and Form 2G classes worked together to highlight some popular Hispanic music and dances such as the Tango, Mariachi and Salsa. The students demonstrated their salsa-dancing skills and gave mini-dance lessons to those visiting their area. Both teachers and students left with a few new dance moves in their repertoire.

Form 3G was responsible for our gastronomic experience on the day. The students set up their restaurant with ambience music and posters about the food items that their customers, their fellow schoolmates, as well as their teachers, could purchase. We learned about empanadas, churros, quiche, madeleines, macarons, and croissants, not only by reading about them, but by tasting our way through them.

Not only were the Spanish and French students of Form 4 in charge of their own presentation, but they were given the additional responsibility of managing each of the lower school classes and ensuring that everyone was prepared. They certainly must be commended for the way they guided their assigned classes, at lunchtime and after school in the lead-up to the Festival day, and during the Festival when they stayed with the younger students to ensure that everything ran smoothly. The Form 4s were able to show, through their engagement with the other students, their readiness and willingness to accept greater responsibilities being placed on them as they grow into their role as the future student leaders of the College.

The entire student population was also given the opportunity to participate via Best Cultural Dress competition. It was quite a spectacle to see the college, staff included, transformed into a francophone/hispanophone fashion parade. Two Form 1G girls, representing French and Spanish fashion, took the title home as joint winners.

National Secondary School Quiz and Debate on the Impacts of Squatting

The Land Settlement Agency hosted the National Secondary School Quiz and Debate on the Impact of Squatting. The objective was to promote awareness amongst the nation’s youth about the negative impacts of squatting. The LSA effectively used the school system as a platform for the dissemination of information about the serious consequences of squatting to the wider society.

The team that represented NorthGate College topped the quiz section of the competition. They displayed a firm command on the history, the impacts and containment of squatting in addition to the mandate of the Land Settlement Agency.

NorthGate’s debating team, looked forward to their chance to battle against the heavy hitters of the various Secondary Schools debating teams. They took on the challenge of being proponents of the stance: Be it resolved that squatting should be made into a criminal offence because of the impacts on the Nation. The team fought admirably and in the end they secured 3rd place overall.